Seven Months
by deadwomanwalking
Summary: This picks up right after Season Two. It fills in the gaps between seasons 2 & 3. This is an Alternate Universe where there are mutations, things like Beth being able to share a persons pain with a simple touch, or Carl who can barrow a mutation and so on. Everyone is infected and they have no idea what is in store for them next.
1. September

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or show, I'm just having a lot of fun with them.

Warnings: Violence, Blood and Gore, Mpreg, Adult Situations, Sexual Content.

A/N: For this story I won't be putting POV for every point of view that switches due to how this one was written, the name will just be present so you won't get lost in who is speaking. Each chapter is a month, and I will be skipping days that aren't important.

September

**Day 6**

_Glenn_

Last night, Rick made it pretty clear that his word was law, he didn't want to be questioned, he wanted to be obeyed. He made all the decisions, our group was no longer a democracy. To make matters worse we also no longer had a safe place to stay, and to top it all off Lori and I were pregnant. So Maggie, Daryl, T-Dog and I were out scrounging up some supplies and gas. While Rick and the others were back at the camp getting cleaned up at a small pond where the waterfall was.

There were several things we'd left back at the farm, like: clothes, bags, tents, sleeping pallets, mine and Lori's prenatal vitamins, our medication stash, and most importantly water and food. Daryl and T-Dog were checking out the convince store right next to the gas station of a small town that we'd driven past yesterday before the van ran out. We'd taken the VW bug, because it could fit all four of us, though Daryl did put up a little bit of a fight with me coming. He thought I'd be safer at camp, but I knew that they'd need my skills as a scavenger.

Maggie and I were in the only department store in the town, there were a few walkers that weren't that hard to take care of. Then we grabbed some shopping bags and started stuffing whatever we could find that we needed into them.

Things had changed, but that was okay, because Daryl told me late last night as we laid there trying to get some sleep that he forgave me, he would give Maggie a chance to prove herself but he would never forgive her for going against my wishes and kissing me when I was in a vulnerable position after Daryl got shot by Andrea. I understood this, so did Maggie and she accepted what she was being given.

I was on one of the maternity aisles knowing both Lori and I would need them eventually, but they were women's clothes and I really didn't want to wear women's clothing. Unfortunately I needed something because my jeans were already starting to feel a little tight on me. "Hey Glenn, you wanna get some baby clothes, for when you and Lori have your babies?" Maggie asked as she walked up behind me.

I looked at her. "That sounds good." I agreed. "What do you think Lori would like?" I asked about the maternity clothes for Maggie helped me grab some shirts and pants, that were cheery, because appeartly an expectant mother must before cheerful. Frankly some of the clothes looked a little over the top, between flowers and ruffles. Once we'd gotten enough, Maggie headed to the baby aisle to grab clothes for boys and girls.

I did find some regular looking jeans and white t-shirts for pregnant women that wasn't too bad and would fit me when I got bigger, I just didn't have a choice so I grabbed a few of each.

"Maggie." T-Dog called from the front entrance a few minutes later

"Glenn." Daryl called as well.

"Over here." Maggie and I both called out, we moved into the open so they could see us. Daryl turned to T-Dog and told him to head out to the car. T-Dog nodded and left, then Daryl walked over to us, he wrapped his arm around me and kissed me, I gladly kissed back.

He pulled away after a minute. "We need to get going, walkers are headed right for us, another herd." Daryl informed us, he moved to our pile of bags and grabbed several, Maggie and I each grabbed the rest, came to ten full shopping bags of stuff. We followed him out and loaded it all into the trunk next to the gas cans Daryl and T-Dog had gotten filled, then we just got into the car when we saw and heard the walkers coming. Daryl pushed on the gas pedal as he drove us back to camp.

* * *

><p><em>Rick<em>

While Daryl, T-Dog, Glenn and Maggie went to scavenge up supplies and gas I was getting the rest of the group organized, there was some stuff in the van that we cleared out to make space, and Carol made a comment about wanting to shoot better, so I made a plan to teach her. I'd have her shooting like a pro in no time. After getting the van situated the others started to clean up at the small pond with the waterfall from the dam at the lake we were next to.

I moved to one of the walls to keep watch, I felt the wind blowing as fall was approaching and that got my mind thinking on winter and I knew that we wouldn't be safe out in the open, we needed to get things organized and prepared for the colder weather that was coming in.

Hershel had just gotten back, and Beth was the last one as she headed to the pond. Hershel started up another fire, while Carol, Carl and Lori were sitting around it, or against the walls. I sat down on the a blanket I'd placed for the watchman, the riffle on my lap as I watched the perimeter waiting for the scavenger party to return.

It was about half an hour later when I heard the engine, I turned and saw the car coming back down the street from a town we'd saw a few hours before the van could go no further. It was a good sign to see them coming back I had started to get worried. Daryl parked and got out. "Okay, we got a full car and several cans of gas." T-Dog called to us. The rest got to their feet and headed to the car to unload the back, Beth finished and arrived. "Daryl, Glenn y'all can get cleaned up now." Beth informed them as she moved to check through the bags like the rest so that everyone has what they needed.

"No, I know what you two will do, Maggie you first, then T-Dog, Daryl I need your help with the engine, Glenn get the supplies situated with the rest of the women." I instructed knowing that Daryl and Glenn were going to take the longest, I didn't blame them right now things were quiet and peaceful, so they deserved to have the time with no one else waiting behind them, a look in Daryl's eyes told me he understood. Glenn didn't complain as they moved to obey, so that was a step in the direction I wanted them to go.

* * *

><p><em>Andrea<em>

"Then Michael of course pulls this stupid prank on the senior, he switched the answer keys he'd stolen with a fake and the senior flunked. Naturally Michael ends up gloating and the senior over hears, and that was all it took, the senior lost it. I can't even remember his name, but Michael, him, I'll never forget." I paused in my story as Michonne moved to check my legs which had been going numb, they were bruised and sore from the running and falling I'd done yesterday.

"Continue." Michonne said as she rubbed her hands together then moved to massage the tense muscles to ease the pain and quicken the healing time. Groaned at first but then moaned as it helped.

"So senior over heard and he walks up to Michael as he continues to brag outside the Quaid and hits him, in front of everyone. He continued to hit him, until security pulled him off, Micheal's face was a mess, the girls were screaming and all I could think was that if I did anything I could get expelled and never become a lawyer. So I didn't do anything, and what I regret most about that moment, was that I hated the plaid skirt I'd picked to wear that morning, ironic really. Considering that now I miss that stupid plaid skirt." I finished as tears ran down my cheeks.

Instead of giving me comfort, she finished the message, stood up and mentioned something about hunting before leaving. I wasn't alone though, I had the ghouls to protect me from the walkers. But the silence gave me time to think, that's why I talked, so I didn't have to think about the people I missed, the friends who left me, who I may never see again.

* * *

><p><em>Daryl<em>

Once everything was taken care, the clothes, food and first-aid supplies had been split up, the van now had gas and the engine was checked, everything was good to go. Maggie and T-Dog finished cleaning up, so it was our turn. We went to the small pond that the waterfall drains into, it has a cannel so it ends up back in the lake, it was the perfect place for me and Glenn to finally reconnect after everything that had happened on the farm.

I walked up behind Glenn and wrapped my arms around his waist, he leaned back against me, I kissed his neck, and then slowly pulled the hem of his shirt taking it off over his head. He turned around and pressed his hands to my chest, then spread them under my leather jacket as it slid off.

We had the time, Rick had told us that we would leave first thing in the morning, allowing us to go slow and really enjoy this time instead of rushing through it. Glenn removed my shirt, I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close, I kissed him. Glenn moaned as he opened up for my tongue to explore, our eyes closing as I kissed him long and deep. His arms wrapped around my waist his hands splaying against my back as I tasted him, there were spices, meats and just something that was all Glenn.

I pulled away after a moment as Glenn's hands moved from my back to my arms, I looked at him as he started to back up into the small pond we were using to clean off. We stopped moving as we looked at the intention in each other's eyes, we quickly removed the rest of our clothing before getting into the cold water. It wasn't going to be cold for long as we started kissing again.

I roamed my hands down Glenn's chest, his nipples were real sensitive due to the pregnancy so I avoided them as Glenn moved to the side and laid back on the grass. I put my hands under his knees and moved them to wrap around my waist. Glenn smiled as he knew what was going to happen and he was already getting hard just from the idea, I had to admit so was I.

I used the water as lube to open him up, it had been a while so I wanted to take it nice and slow, this wasn't just a fuck, this, here, what Glenn and I were about to do was usually called making love. I didn't like calling sex that, but in this case with Glenn I'd make an exception.

Glenn moaned as he gripped the grass while my fingers were inside his ass as I loosened and stretched him open to accept my dick with as little pain as possible. Glenn tightened his legs around my waist as I lined myself up, I looked into Glenn's eyes and saw nothing but trust and love. I knew with that one look that he truly did not want to be with Maggie, that he didn't just make that choice because he was pregnant with my kid.

No, he made that decision because he does, love me, I knew this, I could see it and feel from him. I just wasn't ready to say it, I may have felt it in my heart but to confess it, out in the open was something I didn't think I'd ever be able to do. Glenn knew this and he had accepted it.

I eased my way inside, Glenn arched his back in ecstasy as he stifled a moan not wanting the others to hear, they knew what we were doing, they'd have to be idiots not to. I was panting as I fully sheathed myself inside Glenn. Glenn moved and wrapped his hands around my neck and looked me in the eyes as he kissed me again and whispered those three words, the ones I couldn't bring myself to utter.

"I love you." He whispered against my lips, and sealed that declaration against them, I returned the kiss, then pulled almost all the way out before thrusting back in. Glenn moaned, which I swallowed in the kiss, so we wouldn't be heard, not by walkers or our group.

I hadn't put a condom on, Glenn was pregnant and we didn't have any so I had decided that at that moment it didn't really matter that I started to fuck him bareback. Soon I was grunting and moaning as I rutted inside him and he moaned and thrashed and held on as we were both losing our selves to the pleasure of each other's body.

It had been so long since we'd been joined like this and ten minutes later we were both crying out as we came, we were sweaty and entangled around each other halfway in, halfway out of the water, panting and catching our breath. We didn't speak as we calmed, I pulled out, then Glenn unwrapped his legs around my waist and stood up next to me. He cupped his hand in the water and brought it up to wash away the sweat, blood, grime and cum off of me.

I followed Glenn's lead and we continued to wash each other until we were as clean as we'd get without soap, neither T-Dog or I got to that aisle before I heard the herd heading our way and we had to leave. Shampoo, soap and shaving cream were things we'd have to find later. In the meantime we'd all have to deal with it.

We got out and started changing when something caught my senses. "Glenn, move, now." I told him in a hushed whisper, I finished slipping on my boots and he grabbed his shirt while his jeans were still undone. He heard the urgency in my voice as I grabbed my shirt and jacket and we both ran for the group while pulling our shirts on.

"Rick!" Glenn called as we got closer, everyone looked at us as they were about to set to make dinner from some of the can goods we'd been able to find. Rick stood up and looked at us as we arrived, T-Dog was back on the wall, Carl was in Lori's arms while she sat next to Carol and Maggie, Hershel and Beth next to them as Hershel was just putting fresh fire wood on the pit

"What is, what's wrong?" Rick asked as we stopped.

"Rick, walkers are headed this way." I paused as I heard more coming from the other direction. "From both directions." I finished.

"Shit, pack up we're leaving." Rick ordered, everyone stood and immediately grabbed the clothes they had been sorting and were going to change into and packed it all in the vehicles. Carol got in the VW with Hershel's family, while Glenn took a seat in the van with Rick's family and T-Dog. I got back on my bike and Rick lead us away just as the walkers came out of the woods, I took the rear for the moment, things seemed good, but it was going to become a struggle this winter as things went from good to worse too bad to worse again, things I knew would never be perfect, but I would make the most of everyday with Glenn.

**Day 19**

_Carol_

We weren't blind, we could see that something had changed between Rick and Lori, he didn't talk to her unless he had to, he barely slept in the same tent, and he never looked at her without distain in his eyes. We don't know what had happened, though that night, a couple of weeks after we lost the farm we finally got answers.

The guys were putting up the tents except for Daryl who was out hunting for our dinner, the girls and I were building a camp fire and checking the canned goods we'd gotten at our last stop to see what we could cook. I was standing next to Lori as she had decided to wash some of the clothes. "Lori, what's going on between you and Rick?" I asked softly, I was one of the few in the group who'd been clueless about Lori's relationship with Shane.

"It's a long story." Lori said, it seemed she really didn't want to talk about it, I was willing to let it go but Rick had been nearby unnoticed and decided that we all deserved to know, since others had been talking about it and a few rumors had gotten started.

Once Daryl got back and dinner was cooked we were sitting around the fire trying to stay warm when Rick stood as he spoke up. "So questions have been going around and rumors are spreading, I'm going to set things straight. The affair between Lori and Shane happened when she believed I was dead, the fact that she couldn't decide who she loved more, is what caused the problems with Shane." Rick sounded bitter and we couldn't really blame him, he had to kill his best friend who tried to murder him because Lori confessed she didn't know who the father was.

"Isn't that right Lori, you don't know who the father of the baby is, well I'm going to set that straight, the baby's mine. Now that you all know the questions and rumors can stop." Rick finished, then sat back down to continue eating the piece of rabbit he'd received. Daryl and Glenn kept quite as they ate, T-Dog, Maggie and Beth didn't say anything, neither did I or Hershel, we all continued to eat.

The rest of what had happened came out over the next couple of days, Lori's confused feelings, mixed signals and then confessing her emotions to the unstable man that Shane had become, who then acted on his feelings and tried to kill her husband and father of her children. But the real question was, had she wished that it was Shane that had lived. With all that said we stopped asking questions believing we had the whole story of what had happened in that field, we were wrong, because Rick never once mentioned Carl, or how he truly defeated Shane that night.

**Day 27**

_Andrea_

Michonne took a knife out of her boot and held it by the blade, then very quickly tossed it in the direction of a rodent we spotted, for the last several weeks she had been teaching me to survive, hunt, track, and to hide in plain sight. She threw the knife, it spun then embedded itself in the stomach of the rodent, upon closer inspection it was a raccoon.

Which would be different from rabbits, squirrels, and rats. As Autumn was getting closer animals like deer's and the like were becoming rare, as for the walkers not quite as rare, but as long as we had Michonne's pets they never noticed us.

It felt like life for me, us, had slowed down. There had been a time when I would've been rushing to work, home, work again, dating didn't exist, and then I decided to take one summer off and go on a road trip with my sister who'd decided to take couple of years backpacking before going to college. I had forced myself to slow down to spend three months with Amy, requested by my parents.

We made it to Atlanta and everything changed, my life was over, dating, work, family it was all gone in the blink of an eye. People started to get mutations and come back from the dead, eating each other, the thought of all that had changed and been lost…made me sick.

I had wanted to die, now I was just trying to survive, learning from a woman who barely spoke, she hardly even acknowledged me, never stopped me from talking though. The whole time she skinned the raccoon and set about cooking it, I talked about my parents, my sister, I didn't ask questions at first, I wasn't sure if she'd answer me if I did, so I talked about myself. Things that had gone wrong. It didn't seem to bother her.

She put a stick through the raccoon and put it over the fire as the sun set. "They left you." Michonne finally said, I'd told her all about the walkers on the farm and being left behind.

"Yes, the farm was over run, and everyone was in danger. They must've thought I got caught, I don't blame them, I'm not angry about it." I assured her.

"You are." Michonne told me.

"No I'm not." I said, I was a little be upset and angry about being abandoned by my group, who I thought were my friends.

"You are." It wasn't a question, there was no doubt in her voice, somehow MIchonne just knew I was lying, I wanted to ask how. I didn't, I should've explored this intuition that Michonne seemed to have, it could be a mutation, or just a heightened sixth sense, I didn't question it. I didn't want to know, these mutations had done nothing but cause problems. I was also a little jealous, why didn't I have one. I didn't know then, that I had something so much more important than a mutation.


	2. October

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or show, I'm just having a lot of fun with them.

Warnings: Violence, Blood and Gore, Mpreg, Adult Situations, Sexual Content.

A/N: For this story I won't be putting POV for every point of view that switches due to how this one was written, the name will just be present so you won't get lost in who is speaking. Each chapter is a month, and I will be skipping days that aren't important.

**October**

**Day 1**

_Daryl_

I was in the woods hunting, only instead of it being for dinner it was to kill walkers. I heard them near the camp that night, there was only a few in the distance that were heading our way. So I had kissed Glenn's sleeping forehead before I put on my pants and grabbed my crossbow, though now in retrospect I should've at least grabbed my jacket considering how much the temperature, especially at night had been dropping.

I shivered again as I could hear them eating, I informed T-Dog who'd been keeping watch, that I was going to take out a couple of walker problems. T-Dog wanted to come, but I told him that he needed to keep watch in case there were others I hadn't heard, if so and they needed to pack up and leave to just shout and I'd come back.

I finally got around some of the trees that were obscuring my vision of the walkers which were feasting on a fallen deer. The first one that noticed me was once a woman, blood running down her neck were a gaping wound had been, looked like a walker just like her had taken a chunk out of her neck before she turned, now it was just a decade mess as she growled and started stumbling over to me. I raised my crossbow and shot her in the head, she fell back on the deer which got the others attention.

I quickly reloaded as I backed up, the other two were men, one had to have been in his fifties before he died turning into this disgusting walker that was covered in blood, boils and flesh that was falling off.

I shot him in the eye with my other arrow, I slung my crossbow onto my back as I pulled out my hunting knife while the last one got to its feet, a man, I made an educated guess that he use to have money before the world went to shit from the fact that he was wearing a once impressive and expensive, custom tailored suit, though now it was just ripped and bloody rags of a suit. I held the handle of my knife as I waited for him to move toward me, as he reached for me I stabbed my blade into his forehead and followed him to the ground.

I pulled my knife out, I looked down and saw a ring on the guys finger, the fingers were decade and disgusting but the ring. I figured I could clean it up and maybe disinfect it with some boiled water and it'd be good as new. It was silver, with this Celtic design on it, intertwining around the band. I took my knife and cut the walkers finger, and removed the ring, I wiped off the blood before sheathing my knife and standing back up. I shivered as another breeze passed by, goose bumps rose on my skin as I turned and headed back to camp, ring firmly in hand.

I got back and nodded the okay to T-Dog as he looked from where he was leaning against one of the trees. We'd set up camp at the edge of the woods right next to the road where our vehicles were hiding us from the easy view of walkers and survivors.

The fire was dying, so T-Dog was bundled the best he could, I heard Rick getting up to start his watch so T-Dog could get some sleep that night, I got back in our tent just as Glenn stirred noticing I wasn't there. I quickly hid the ring and then moved next to Glenn. He opened his eyes and mumbled sleepily, I barely made out the question. "'ere 'ere 'u?" Glenn closed his eyes again as I moved my hand around his waist and bent down kissing the bulge his stomach made.

Glenn smiled as I kissed him and rubbed my hand along the curve of his stomach to his back, I continued to kiss his stomach. It woke him some so this time it was easier to understand what he was saying. "Keep that up and we'll never go back to sleep." Glenn warned, I smirked as I moved to his lips and gave him a real kiss.

I pulled the covers back over us as I wrapped my arms around him and he did the same. He closed his eyes and rested his head on my chest as he shivered against me, I ran my hand down his back as I kissed his head, then closed my eyes and fell back to sleep for the rest of the night.

The next morning I woke early as I could hear Rick getting the others up, it was time to eat and pack up, we never stayed in one place more than a night or two, we had to keep moving it's safer that way. Today we were heading into a small neighborhood that Rick marked on the map, we were hoping for food and/or shelter there.

We did find food, as for shelter there were to many walkers around and more on the way to deem it safe to stay for long. With my hearing it aided them that month in staying ahead of the herds.

* * *

><p><strong>Day 11<strong>

_Glenn_

I was near a lake washing some of our clothing, it was a more peaceful day, the nights were getting colder and Daryl was predicting snow in a few more weeks as winter got closer. The bright side this cold weather seemed to be slowing down the walkers. Though while they were slowing down my hormones and exhaustion were not.

I was tired all the time and hungry, I noticed the same thing from Lori, I asked her about it and she said it was normal, that it should get better once we both reached our second trimester, at least we hoped, she said it was worse for me because this was my first pregnancy, while she'd already done this once.

While I was cleaning the laundry T-Dog was keeping watch, one of Rick's new rules was that no one went anywhere away from the group alone. Daryl almost got bit a few days ago when he'd gone off by himself for some unknown reason, it wasn't to hunt, we all knew that, but he wasn't talking so Rick laid down the law.

Daryl didn't argue and so that's how I came to be guarded by T-Dog while I was washing and trying to keep us as clean as possible. I was just wringing some of the shirts out about to hang them on the line when I heard Daryl relieve T-Dog, I glanced over as he set his bow down against a tree and then walked over to me.

He wrapped his arm around my waist his hand resting on my stomach. "It's been at least a week since our last quite moment together." Daryl whispered in my ear.

I smiled as I leaned back against him, Daryl moved to kiss along my neck and throat as his hand moved up my shirt, I moaned as I felt my jeans being undone, Daryl continued to kiss along my neck to my shoulder blades then stopped. I turned around in his arms and faced him, I kissed him on the lips, he returned it as our tongues battled for dominance, though Daryl won, he always wins.

I closed my eyes along with Daryl as we continued to make out while Daryl helped me out of my shirt, only breaking the kiss to pull it over my head then returned as my hands ran down his body as I started to remove his jacket with the angle wings on the back.

I was panting as we started fumbling for each other's jeans, I was all thumbs as I tried to get Daryl's zipper down so Daryl took care of it for both of us and we quickly pushed our jeans down and kicked them off before wrapping our arms around each other as we continued making out, it was needy, and desperate as we finished undressing and slid to the leaf covered ground.

Daryl knelt between my legs as I moved them to wrap around his waist, he put his fingers in his mouth as we didn't have any lube at the moment, he slipped them inside, I moaned and tossed my head back in pleasure as I closed my eyes to feeling of being stretched. Soon he pulled his fingers out, spat on his hand and rubbed it along his cock to ease the way as he started to push inside me.

Soon he was thrusting and I pushed back to meet his thrusts as we panted and groaned, moaned and I bit the inside of my wrist to keep from crying out. I saw Daryl bite his lip as we both neared our climax. I cried out into my arm as I came and Daryl followed shortly after, he eased down so he wasn't on top of me, he pulled out as he laid next to me his arm around my waist.

He grabbed one of the blankets that I had been going to wash and covered us with it, I smiled as we just got our breathing under control and just relaxed, Daryl moved to grab his pants and pulled a small, battered, brown, rather ugly looking box from his jeans pocket. I wasn't sure when he found, but on one of our scavenger hunts he had, he placed it on my stomach.

"Open it up." Daryl requested, I moved my hand to the box and took the top off, inside was a silver ring, clean pristine, with a Celtic design around the band, looked like it was my size. I was speechless, by what this could mean exactly, Daryl spoke a moment later to clear up my confusion. "Will you marry me?"

I looked at him, tears of joy in my eyes, I was chocked up by my emotions as I nodded, he smiled and hugged me. Then took the ring out of the box, which he tossed into the stream, then he took my hand and slipped it onto my ring finger, I knew where Daryl had gotten it, I knew that I would forever cherish and love it. This ring would never leave my finger if I had any say in the matter.

We started kissing again and Daryl was so lost in it _he _didn't even hear the footsteps coming to our location until a gasp of. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry." We parted and saw that it was Carol, she turned around to look in the other direction then at the two naked men under the blanket making out.

"Carol, what is it?" Daryl asked concerned.

"Rick…Rick said we had to move out, a storms coming along the horizon and he wants to find some shelter for the night." Carol informed us with her back turned. "I'll let Rick know it'll be a few minutes." Carol said before rushing back to where camp had been getting set up.

After she left I started laughing in embarrassment, Daryl looked at me and soon he was laughing too. It took a minute for us to calm down. "We better get dressed." I suggested, Daryl agreed with a nod, he kissed the top of my head and then together we got back into our clothes, took down the laundry and I grabbed the blanket before we headed back to the camp that was disassembling as clouds were moving in from the east, dark, rolling clouds with flashes of lighting, I didn't hear the thunder but Daryl did.

We got in our vehicles, I was with Rick's family and Carol this time in the van as Rick led us out in another direction, and T-Dog was with Hershel's family in the VW while Daryl was on his bike at the rear. I continued to look at the ring on my finger as Rick drove, Carol in the passenger seat. Carl was sitting next to me, Lori next to him.

"Glenn can I ask you something?" Carl asked.

"You just did kiddo, but go ahead and ask something else." I teased, Carl laughed before asking what he really wanted to know.

"Where did you get that ring, it's cool." Carl asked, I had smiled the moment Daryl proposed and I just couldn't stop.

"Well Carl, it was a present." I looked at Lori as she saw the ring as well, she knew, she just knew. It wasn't hard for her to figure it out, after all it was on my right ring finger.

"Carl, he'll tell us more about it when he's ready." Lori told him, Carl looked at her, I felt bad for Lori. After everything that happened back on the farm Rick had started treating Lori differently, after the revelation of what had truly gone down between Lori, Shane and Rick. Carl started acting different too, he started to learn how to protect himself, look out for himself, and rely on himself, he would ignore Lori and stopped listening to her instruction all together. It appeared as if he neither wanted nor needed her mothering at the moment, and that was pain for her I'm sure, because I would never want my child to never want or need me, no matter how old or what happens in the past to drive them away.

Carl slowly but surely became a productive, and helpful member of our group, growing up years before his time. He was only twelve, but he had to make decisions that not even an adult had to make, decisions that I child should never even have to face, like weather or not to take a life. A living human life, but that was something we were all starting to face after the fall at the farm.

The car fell silent then, and for several hours no one said anything until Rick finally turned onto a neighborhood that was mostly empty, he pulled up to one of the bigger houses, we grabbed our knives and implements to take out any walkers that might be residing in the two story brown stone.

I got out with Carl and Lori. Daryl, Rick, Hershel and T-Dog got together. "Okay, we're going to go in formation, we are a strike team, we go in first clear the house then the rest follow." Rick instructed them, they agreed, prepared themselves and then Rick kicked in the door, Daryl and T-Dog flanked him on either side, Hershel watched their back as they quickly took out the four walkers in the house, including the ones up stairs.

The rest of us entered as the storm finally hit and it started to pour down rain that could drench you in seconds, freezing rain at that, and the wind too was so cold. It was just a miserable night as we set up house, putting down our sleeping bags.

Daryl and Rick came back downstairs in a hurry. Daryl wrapped his arms around me and held me close his right hand resting on my baby bump. "No one goes upstairs." Rick ordered as he too touched Lori's bump and his other arm around Carl. I don't what they had seen, but whatever it had been had shaken Rick and Daryl to the core.

As we sat down, after we found some can goods in the pantry for dinner Daryl looked at me, he was ready. I set my can of peaches down and cleared my throat to get their attention before I started. "Daryl and I have some news." They all looked at us, I moved to hold his hand and he smiled at me. "We're engaged." I announced all happy as I showed them my ring, they were ecstatic.

"That's wonderful." Lori and Carol said. Maggie and Beth started asking questions of how it happened.

"Congratulations." Rick said as Carl took another look at the ring.

"Rick, would you do the honors of marring us off?" Daryl asked. That I hadn't been expecting but I certainly agreed that Rick should be the one, he was our leader.

"Of course, when do you want to do it?" Rick asked.

"Not now, not tonight or tomorrow." I told him as Daryl wrapped his arm around me and held me close. We needed to discuss how we wanted to get married. Rick agreed rather pleased at this, and then looked at his wife and that look of happiness was gone.

I told the girls how he proposed without all the details, mostly that we were just lying together and he popped the question. The conversation stopped then as we all finished our canned food and headed to bed.

I laid with Daryl my arm around his waist, head on his chest as his arm was wrapped around my shoulders holding me close. "Daryl, what did you see upstairs?" I asked softly as I heard Maggie snoring and Rick was upstairs keeping watch out one of the windows, while Lori slept on one side of the room and Carl near Beth on the other. It was sad, but I was choosing to ignore the problems in our group and focus on me and Daryl.

"You don't want to know, trust me, do not go up there." Daryl whispered in my ear before kissing the top of my head and once more pressing his hand to my belly protectively, I knew right then, I'd never ask again, he was right. _I_ did _not_ want to know.

* * *

><p><strong>Day 30<strong>

_Daryl_

We talked about getting married, we knew that we didn't have to actually do a wedding, not any more. But, he wanted to hear: the until death do us part and say our vows and you are now married, and all that. Caring about him and his wants I was willing to wait until he felt the moment was right.

His belly got bigger and now he was wearing the jeans he'd gotten for this moment so he wouldn't have to wear the girlie maternity clothes that he'd picked out. The manliest of the women's maternity shirts and jeans he had managed to find, but he was delaying the inevitable as long as possible, I'd seen them, I didn't blame him.

It was late afternoon and the clouds were rolling in for another storm, a bad storm. I could feel it in the air, right now we were walking, since the VW and Van were low on gas so we had left them on the side of the road a few miles back to find some. The girls didn't want to stay behind and I wasn't about to leave Glenn back there, he was the best scavenger in the group, so we were moving through the middle of a town, small, the gas station in sight. No walkers though and that concerned me, cause I couldn't hear any either, and that didn't feel right.

"Daryl." Glenn whispered as he gripped my hand, I looked at him concerned at first then he pointed to a small building, it wasn't a chapel, it wasn't a church, it was a white building that was a small court house. It was two stories, with a patched roof and stairs, but also stained glass windows of people getting married, men, women, and I had to agree. This place would be perfect.

"Rick." I called, he turned and looked at us. "Now, we want to get married here, now." I pointed to the building, Rick looked at it, and then at the others, they were watching us.

"T-Dog, Hershel, grab the gas, girls scavenge up food and supplies, we will all convene at the court house in one hour. You two, prepare to get married, for better or worse." Rick instructed everyone on their jobs. They all set out to get it done quickly.

Lori forced Carl to go with her and the other women to scavenge for supplies while T-Dog and Hershel got gas, Glenn, Rick and I headed into the court house to clear it out of any walkers. My mistake was an hour later when everyone got inside after we cleared out the dead, that I heard them, they were miles off, or so I assumed. I could hear the stumbling and the growling and groaning, but I said nothing.

You know why…because I wanted to get married, I wanted to get married to Glenn when and where Glenn wanted to have the wedding. He wanted here, where he felt that it was perfect. He was growing out of his clothes, he was only a few months pregnant and he was starting to get uncomfortable, he was horny all the time and his chest and nipples were tender and sore it was embarrassing for him.

If he wanted one moment to feel normal, to feel perfect I wasn't going to ruin that by telling them that walkers were headed our way, that we'd have to forget it and go, because damn it I wanted too.

So I kept my mouth shut, Beth and Maggie with Carl sat on one side. Lori and Hershel sat on the other side of the aisle that Glenn and I had created. They were just flip chairs that we'd found in a closet and set up for our friends. Carol stood by Glenn, T-Dog by me as I stood across from Glenn on the right where the groom usually stands. I blushed at that thought seeing as Glenn was the bride in this situation and that thought was so funny to me that I bust out laughing as Rick was standing at the front waiting for us to tell him we were ready.

Glenn looked at me confused. "I'm sorry Glenn, I just thought of something funny, not you, or this. I want this, I want you, and the baby." I told him as my laughter stopped and I took his hand seriously. I'm not a girl, I don't do weddings or proposals or baby showers, I don't do kids or babies but I was in a situation where I was going to have a baby, with a man I had only known a few weeks. A man I had been blowing off steam with, the only attractive one and unattached, who was interested in me.

I had found myself wanting to marry him, because I _cared _about him, how stupid was that. I couldn't even say the three little words he needed to hear, but he was okay with that. I have no idea why, just that he _loves _me, and that made this perfect, all worth it, and to this day I have never regretted my decision to get married to Glenn Rhee. Even though I had no idea if I was ever going to be ready to say those three most important words.

I looked at Rick as we both nodded that we were ready to do this. Rick started. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to see our friends Daryl Dixon and Glenn Rhee join their lives together in holy matrimony. Do you Daryl Dixon take Glenn Rhee to be your husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, keeping yourself for him alone as long as you both shall live?" Rick asked me.

Still holding Glenn's hands I looked into his eyes and said without a doubt in my mind. "I do."

"Do you Glenn Rhee take Daryl Dixon to be your husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, keeping yourself for him alone as long as you both shall live?" Rick asked Glenn.

Glenn smiled at me as he said no hesitation no second thought. "I do."

"If y'all have any vows, now is the time to share them." Rick told us.

I didn't have anything, I didn't know what to say, I couldn't even say that I lo-those words. I couldn't even think it without getting sick to my stomach, how was I supposed to tell him in vows how much he means to me when I couldn't so those three damned words. It had been frustrating but Glenn knew how to fix it, to make it all better.

As he started to speak that storm came down, it hit, raining and pouring drowning out the noises of the walkers that were closer then I had expected, that were moving faster than I had anticipated, while Glenn spoke to me calming my panic. "I love you, I have loved you the moment we met, and I know you care about me very deeply. Daryl Dixon doesn't have to say anything, because Daryl Dixon speaks with actions not words. I have heard you ever time you touch me, every single time you protected me, kissed me, hugged me, I hear you now, I know how you feel. Because I love you." Glenn finished.

All I could say was. "I know."

"I now pronounce you married." Rick finished. "You may now-"

I pressed my lips to Glenn's before Rick even finished that last sentence, Glenn returned the kiss as we wrapped our arms around each other as the rain beat down on the roof, the rain was pouring and I didn't hear, no one noticed outside one of the windows until we heard a crash. Glenn and I broke off as we saw several walkers coming in through the stained glass window.

Beth and Carl screamed, Maggie, Hershel and Lori all stood grabbing their weapons or whatever was handy. "We need to leave now." Rick ordered and I had to agree because I heard more on their way.

I grabbed Glenn's hand as we heard them at the back door trying to get in, we were screwed. "Upstairs now." I said as the doors were coming down. Everyone headed up there, Rick took the lead and stood up there as he head counted as we rushed to one of the offices, I was right behind Glenn. I grabbed Rick's arm as I said. "We need to split up, lead them away."

Rick nodded as he agreed with me, and followed into the back room, Rick picked up a chair and threw it out the window as I closed the door and started to push the desk in that office against the door as they started to bang on it to try and get at us.

"We need to get back to the cars." Lori said freaking out as her hand was on Carl's shoulder.

"Okay, Daryl and I are going to lead them away, make it safe, then the rest of you head to the vehicles." Rick instructed as he wrapped his hand with his shirt and cleared off the glass, there was a hangover that they could climb out onto and try to climb down after Rick and I made it safe.

I grabbed Glenn's hand and had him face me. "I'm gonna go out, and I am going to take care of it, I want you to do what Hershel and T-Dog instruct, I'll be back, I promise." I kissed him, I never promised anything, I learned a long time ago that promises can be broken, never to trust them. So I never made them, this time I was making a promise, a promise to Glenn, to come back. No matter what happened in the next few moments I would be back, and I would be there when he needed me.

Glenn broke the kiss and nodded that he understood, that he believed and trusted me. I pulled my bow off my back and loaded it, Rick took Glenn's hook knife and was ready to climb out onto the hangover roof of the second floor.

There were several walkers down below heading into the court house. "We need to lead them over to the woods that way." I pointed out to Rick as the rain was getting us soaking wet, as thunder clashed around us.

"Let's do it." Rick agreed as we clapped are right hands together, it was our thing when we worked together against walkers and others that threated our group. Thing was I never had any friends growing up, and believe it or not Rick had become my best friend, we were a great team together, one that I never wanted to lose.

We prepared as we moved to the edge and saw an opening in the swarm heading into the court house, I took it as I jumped down, Rick followed, we ran to the edge of the woods, the few that had seen us followed but most were still heading into the building for our group.

"Rick we have to get their attention, do it." He knew what I was referring to as he pulled out his pistol and fired three shots into the air. The walkers turned and headed our way.

As they got closer we ran into the woods planning to go around and back towards the vehicles where we were going to meet the others and get the hell out of there. It was my fault, I should've told them, I didn't and another herd was coming from our left until I nearly got bit as I ran.

"Damn it Rick." I turned as more walkers were chasing him the other direction. I was forced to go right when I needed to go left. "Rick!" I called as I aimed my bow and hit one in the eye. I stooped as I pulled the arrow out while I ran.

"Daryl!" I heard Rick call back. I turned and saw him, we were separated by the walkers, he was going in the direction of the cars, and I was being forced to go the other way.

I stopped my running as I got to the edge of a cliff, it was a steep hill down into a river. The storm had churned it up creating rapids, I turned as I saw the walkers advancing on my position. I saw Rick, made eye contact, he knew what I had to do in order to survive, and with one look he promised to take care of Glenn until I managed to make it back to them. I threw my bow onto my back, and jumped off right before several of the walkers grabbed at me.

I hit the water feet first, the thing I noticed was how fuckin' cold it was. Like knives and daggers biting into my skin, I knew how to swim, but this was different. It was like being in a meat locker except you couldn't breathe as my head went under. I tried to stay above but I was constantly being dragged down by the currents.

The rapids were so fast, so wild that I got turned around not sure which way was up or down, eventually I hit my head against one of the rocks and that was the last I remember that day as my eyes closed and I continued to drift with the water miles back the way we had come.

* * *

><p><em>Glenn<em>

We watched them climb off the roof hangover on the second floor while walkers banged at the door trying to get at us, ruining our wedding, I watched as Rick shot his gun into the darkened sky above. I instinctively put my hand to my belly as we saw the walkers started follow them, the ones that had been banging on the door were also leaving. T-Dog chose to go first so he could help us pregnant people down.

While him and Lori got down I continued to watch until Rick and more importantly Daryl disappeared into the woods. "Glenn, go on." Maggie urged.

I moved out onto the roof carefully as it was slippery due to the rain that was getting us drenched. I crawled to the edge and turned around lowering myself down as T-Dog grabbed my waist to help him to the ground as he had done for Lori. He didn't have a mutation to help him out, but he was just as helpful as those who did.

We waited as Carl was next followed by Beth, Maggie and Carol, Hershel brought up the rear as he wanted to make sure we all got down before he followed. There were a few straggling walkers that were easily dispatched, then we all headed back to where we'd left the vehicles and wait for Rick and Daryl to get back.

* * *

><p><em>Rick<em>

Daryl and I were separated by dozens of walkers, I was headed in the correct direction towards the cars, Daryl had been pushed in the other. I thought for a moment he'd screamed my name, I wasn't sure. "Daryl!" I called as he stopped at a steep cliff drop into what I could only suspect was a raging river from the sounds of it.

Daryl looked at me, I saw it in his eyes, he was asking me to take care of Glenn until he could return. With a look, I promised. Then he threw his bow onto his back and jumped before he could get grabbed.

I knew I couldn't stay, but I had made it to the cliff and saw the direction the river was going. It was back the way we'd come, I didn't see him though, not even a hand or arm or head to let me know he was alive and would stay that way.

I didn't know how to tell Glenn that his newly wed husband was gone, not dead because I knew Daryl, he could survive and he would make it back to Glenn he had promised. I just knew that this was going to kill Glenn inside until he saw him again, we couldn't go back, there's no telling how far the river goes or if there aren't any forks that might take him in another direction.

I couldn't stay, the walkers were starting to notice me, a few had gone into the river after Daryl, but now I was the only living thing left, so I quickly turned and ran back to the cars, I had to get my remaining people to safety. I came out of the woods, the others were getting loaded into the cars when Glenn looked at me.

"Where's Daryl?" Glenn asked as he noticed I was alone.

The others stopped what they had been doing to protect the seats from getting wet. They looked at me as I walked up to him, Maggie moved to stand by him as she took his hand feeling that something bad was coming.

"There were walkers all around us, not just the herd in the town, but another that came out of nowhere. They separated us, Daryl was surrounded, he was at this cliff edge. I'm sorry Glenn he jumped into the river and was swept away with the rapids. I don't know where he'll end up." I explained.

"Daryl's gone?" Glenn asked tears in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry Glenn, I don't know if he's alive or not, but if he is, he knows we're headed to the storage units for winter. Come on, it's cold get in the car." We had enough gas to get to the next town before we'd be running on fumes, I just hoped we could get some gas there, seeing as all we had gathered had been left behind in our rush to get away from the walkers.

Glenn cried the whole night and I didn't blame him, no one tried to stop him, he just sobbed for Daryl, the loss of Daryl. Maggie held him while I opened the back of the van and with T-Dog's help loaded up Daryl's bike, we couldn't close the hatch back, but that was okay, for Glenn I couldn't leave Daryl's bike behind. I got in the van with Lori, Carl, Maggie who was holding Glenn close as he mourned. T-Dog drove the VW with Hershel, Beth and Carol.

I wasn't sure if Daryl had survived that night, but I knew that if he had, if he managed to live through the rapids and walkers then he'd come back, he'd make it to Glenn, nothing mattered more to him then us, his friends and more importantly his family. Which were Glenn and the baby.

* * *

><p><strong>Day 31<strong>

_Daryl_

I coughed as I felt a stab of pain enter my temple where I'd obviously hit my head, since there was fresh blood dripping down my face. I was shivering and shaking, but I didn't feel the water. My eyes were closed, but I didn't hear waves, or birds, or anything. It was so quiet for a second I thought I was dead. Except the pain I felt was real so I couldn't be in another life.

I felt a blanket being pulled down which didn't help the cold I felt as my clothes were clinging to my skin from being wet. Clothes that at the moment were being carefully peeled off of me, I started coughing again when I heard a soothing voice, a female voice. She was trying to calm me.

"Easy, you're safe." She told me, I could barely open my eyes, but she sounded beautiful, and sweet, sort of musical. Though I think that was partly due to the concussion I had suffered from.

It had to be a concussion, because damn, my head hurt. I couldn't open my eyes and some stranger; some girl was taking off my clothes while wrapping a blanket around me to warm me up. I couldn't stop shaking, my skin was wet with freezing water and my lips were probably turning blue, I didn't feel a fire warming me up, I couldn't feel the wind and I was on what felt like a mattress, a lumpy, ratty, moldy mattress, but it was softer then the ground. So I must be inside, I assumed I was inside.

"Hey, hey it's okay. You're okay." I don't know what I was doing that had her freaked and trying to calm me but that voice, I'd do anything to keep her talking. "Can you tell me your name?" She asked as she was starting to take my jeans off, her hands shaking and she seemed incredibly nervous about this, so she was young and inexperienced about seeing a man below the belt.

"My name." I mumbled. "Is." I tried to think, I tried to concentrate on what my name was, but I kept coming up blank. I…crap…I didn't know what my name was. "I-I-I don't know." My eyes popped open as I jerked up.

"Wait, calm down." She said as she grabbed my upper body to keep me from falling out of the bed I was currently lying in. She had black hair, emerald eyes, and a pack nearby covered in flowers, why was that familiar and yet I couldn't recall where I'd seen it all before. Then my eyes rolled back into my head and I started to have a seizure.

"NO!" She cried as she tried to get me to stop shaking and seizing, but there was nothing she could do but wait until it passed, by then I was close to passing out as it came to an end but I still heard her as she said. "Hi, Mr. John Doe, I'm Harleen Nicolson, but you can call me Harley. Pleased to meet you." That was the last I remembered for the next three days.


	3. November

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or show, I'm just having a lot of fun with them.

Warnings: Violence, Blood and Gore, Mpreg, Adult Situations, small bit of attempted rape.

A/N: I meant to post this before Thanksgiving but I got sick and couldn't find the energy to finish it until today. So Happy belated Thanksgiving and I hope you all enjoy this new chapter.

**Day 1**

_Glenn_

I was sitting next to Daryl's bike on the bed of the van, while everyone else was getting camp set up, it'd be another few days before we got to the location of the storage units, where Daryl and Rick knew of that were places to make us safe and keep us warmer than being out in the open.

I was looking at my ring, my engagement/wedding ring. I hadn't really slept much last night so they just had me sit, just relax and not worry about doing anything. Rick said for the next several days I was to do nothing. I knew why, he knew why, we chose not to speak about what we both knew.

Maggie walked over to me and just stood there, neither of us spoke for several minutes as I continued to twirl the ring on my finger. I think, she was thinking…of what to say.

"I need to know something, I know that you don't care about me like that, I respect and understand it. But, he…He didn't say it." Maggie said.

I looked at her confused. She saw the confusion and spoke to clarify what she meant. "Love you, he never said it. How did you know what he felt when he's never said it, I can say it. I love you Glenn, I do. I can say it, he's never said it, not once and you just accepted it. Why?" Maggie asked.

The answer was easy, explaining wasn't difficult, her understanding was. "I just know. He doesn't have to say it, Daryl doesn't speak with words, he speaks with actions. He tried to protect me when I was kidnapped in Atlanta, he came for me and was terrified, I saw it in his eyes when he saw me on taht roof about to be shot if they didn't do as they were told. He carried me to the CDC when my cramps were so bad I couldn't walk. He protected me when a bomb went off so we could escape the CDC, he was angry when Shane and Andrea stuck me down a well with a walker in it, he was scared when a walker was right in front of me and he forgave me for cheating on him. You can't tell me known of that was love. Just because he never said it, doesn't mean he never felt it."

Maggie looked at me as she listened, confusion in her own eyes, things she hadn't known that happened before we met, or even after. "I'm sorry Glenn, I shouldn't have questioned it, you had made your decision I need to respect that. You loved him-" I interrupted.

"Love, I love him, he's still alive." I told her, I had no reason to believe that, he fell into rapids he ended up God knew where. But inside, somehow, someway I knew in my heart, in my soul. I'd know if he was dead, he's wasn't, I felt it. Maggie didn't ask, she just walked away then to finish helping the others set up camp.

* * *

><p><strong>Day 3<strong>

_Daryl_

I heard humming, that's the first thing that registered as I started to wake up. Humming, it was sweet, soft, probably attracting walkers. I jerked up with that thought. "Whoa." She said as she quickly moved from the stove she was trying to get to work, to my bedside as she tried to calm me.

"Walkers." I murmured.

"Walkers? Oh, you mean the ghouls, I like that, walkers." She was rather bubbly, energetic and sweet as she talked.

She had long black hair slightly ratty, looked recently combed but still ratty, tanned skin and emerald eyes. "I remember you, you were the girl at the house."

"Yeah, you were the guy that was calling for Sophia." She commented. I was practically naked under the blanket that was around me, so I grabbed it to keep it from slipping.

"Yes. Where are my clothes?" I asked, I felt an aching throb coming from my forehead, where I remembered hitting it against a rock when I had been dragged down into the rapids.

"Oh, there right there." She pointed to the pile in a chair not all that far from the bed. "I dried them, so you can get dressed again." She stood and started to head outside.

"Wait, what's your name again?" I remembered waking up to her over me but most of that memory was fuzzy.

She paused her hand on the door knob as she looked back at me. "Harleen Nicolson."

"Well, hello Harleen, I'm Daryl Dixon." I introduced myself as I smiled at her. She opened the door and walked out, I waited a moment then moved to grab my pants, I lifted them and grabbed the boxer shorts that had also been dried along with the rest of my clothes.

When I stood to dress I was caught by a wave of dizziness, I grabbed the back of the chair to keep from losing my balance as the vertigo passed. I gasped as I suddenly remembered Glenn, Glenn my husband, pregnant with my child was only God knew how many miles away, I didn't even know where I was or how to get back to him and I was panicking.

I gasped for a breath as my hand was shaking with my own boxers, I was naked standing there as tears slipped down my face. I was angry, it wasn't fear, I was here and he had no idea if I even survived those rapids. I don't know if Rick made it back, if the walkers found our group and he's all alone with his ability to hide his scent from the Ghouls as Harleen calls 'em. I calmed as the next thing that hit me was determination, because I was going to find him, I was going to make it back and I wasn't going to leave Harleen behind.

I pulled myself together as I dressed in my boxers, jeans, shirt and jacket with the angel wings on the back. I moved to grab my bow when I heard Harleen scream, if I hadn't been in the middle of a panic attack I would've heard the three yahoos that had come upon Harleen, they obviously thought this whole post-apocalyptic situation with the walking dead was a good time to take advantage of an innocent teenage girl.

I left my boots behind as I ran out of the cabin into the woods bow in hand as I heard their cackling and saw one red-neck with his hands on Harleen's arm, and the other two big, brawny, horny, white men that found themselves a woman. No telling how long it's been since they've had sex and they didn't care that she was only sixteen, they didn't care that she had probably seen her own parents killed or that she took in a red neck because he was in trouble and asked for help.

I didn't know Harleen or what she'd seen, what she'd been though but she was fighting that guy with his dirty, hands holding her tight causing her pain as another one was trying to get her ripped, blood speckled jeans down so he could rape her.

I remembered a story Merle told me once, I was maybe thirteen, it was a day before he ended up back in Juvie. He said he had walked to his favorite bar, had several beers got into a bar fight and then headed home, as he was walking past this alley he heard a girl cry out. He looked and saw two beefy meat heads just like these guys who had their hands on Harleen, he saw them forcing this girl, who couldn't be older then Harleen was, they forced her to bend over a dumpster. Instead of stopping it, instead of stepping up for her and stopping them, he smiled and walked away. He said that it was none of his business, my brother would go back into the cabin.

Guess what, I wasn't him, I'm not now and I never will be my brother, as I raised my bow and shot an arrow through the hand that was fumbling with that girls jeans. He screamed out in pain as he pulled away and the other two took notice of me.

"Let her go and run now, because if you don't, this red neck will kick your sorry asses for even thinking of touching her." I told them vehemently, vengeance and the promise of death on my face and in my voice, they knew I was serious. I didn't have shoes on, my hunting knife was back in the cabin but I had three arrows, two in my bow ready to be loaded and one I was going to take out of that burley guy with the red hair and brown eyes.

The guy who had brown hair and shady eyes with his hands on Harleen's arms as she looked at me, pleading and begging to be saved was released. "She's not worth it." He told his friends then started to run off.

"Not you, I want my arrow back bitch." I pointed my bow at the red head still holding his hand, his friend next to him with jet black hair and pure evil staring at me grabbed the arrow shaft and broke it off, he threw that piece at me as his friend screamed in pain, then yanked the rest of the shaft out by the arrow head and threw that in my direction as well, both parts landing a few inches from my feet.

Harleen was breathing heavily as she wiped the tears off her face, as they took off deeper into the woods. I held out my hand as they disappeared into the foliage, Harleen grabbed it and buried her head in my chest, I wrapped my arm around her and held on tight.

"Let's get inside." I said softly a moment later, I led her back into the cabin, she let go and started to pack up her bag as I got my shoes on and reloaded my bow.

"Where are we going to go?" Harleen asked still shaking from the encounter with those men.

"I have friends I need to get back to, first we need to figure out where we are." I told her.

She nodded as she waited for me her hands shaking. I walked over to her and took her hands in mine. "Look at me Harleen." She looked up from the ground and made eye contact with me. "I heard you, I'm here, and I'm not gonna hurt you."

"I know, I see it in your eyes, you're not a bad guy." I pulled her into another hug. In a lot of ways she reminded me of Glenn, her naivety, her trusting nature, and her eyes that had complete faith and trust in me.

As we left the cabin and headed where she believed a road to be she started asking questions. About my friends, family, anything and everything to fill the silence. I answered the best I could, we ended up talking about Glenn a lot.

"He's Korean, black hair, slanted eyes and always wears this cap on his head. He tends to get himself into trouble, so we need to step it up." I told her as we were slogging through these puddles as it started to rain again, it rain quite a bit that fall.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Harleen asked.

"Yes he is. Where are your parents Harleen?" I asked her.

"Harley, everyone calls me Harley. They died, I'm all alone." She told me.

"I'm sorry to hear that Harleen." I liked her proper name, I wasn't like everyone else, I wasn't about to treat her like everyone else. We finally made it out as night fell and I saw a road sign, I hung my head in dejection, we were at least fifty miles from where I had last seen the others, it could take a good couple of months before we even got to the storage buildings. By then they might not even be there.

"Let's get going." I said, and soon we started along the side of the road as we headed off into the middle of the night, I saw a fire not far from our location but when I heard the moans of two walkers I had Harleen steer clear, I had no idea that it was actually none other than…

* * *

><p><em>Andrea<em>

When night had fallen Michonne and I made camp, she hooked up her walkers to one of the trees as I started a fire and then sat there trying to keep warm, winter was closing in and we felt it. Though I think I mostly felt it, Michonne seemed to handle the cold rather well, not me I felt it deep in my bones. We had no idea that a few miles up on the highway was Daryl Dixon separated from our friends and on his own with just this girl to watch his back, the one who saved me and Shane in that neighborhood when we'd been looking for Sophia. Unfortunately I never got to meet her.

Of course I didn't find out any of this, until later, so, I sat there close to the fire trying to warm up. "Almost done." Michonne said, speaking of the can of beans we had near the fire cooking. She walked away from the walkers she just chained up. She sat on a log next to me, as I sighed she put her hands out there near the fire heating herself up as well.

We had found a few cans of beans the other day in a market, so Michonne had used her knife to open them and I had set them next to the fire to warm them up. We only cooked two saving the rest for another night. I took a small rag I had used to clean up and put it on the tin so I didn't burn myself and handed it to Michonne. "Here." I said as she took it.

The only sound were the chains that the walkers had on as they shifted at the tree. You got use sounds and smell they made, it shielded us, so it was worth it to have their protection. We each took a spoon as I grabbed my tin can of beans and hunched over near the fire as we ate. "If only we had some cap'." I joked.

"Girls' night." Michonned commented as I used the blanket over my knees to fight the shaking, I took another bite as I heard the chains rattle again, I looked at them for a moment.

"Boys are getting restless again." They were trying to get at us, fighting the chains that kept pulling them back, and that brought a question to my mind. "You still haven't told me, where did you find them?" She paused in her eating. "Did they attack? Did you hunt them down? Or did you know them?" She looked at me then, out of the corner of her eyes, through her dreadlocks over her face she looked at me and I knew I had hit something. A nerve, a memory, something she obviously didn't want to talk about, and I realized she did, she had known them.

"I'm so sorry." I told her sincerely as I moved to continue eating. "Oh God." I groaned, I didn't really understand how someone could do that to people they had known, instead of just putting them out of their misery.

I looked back at her as she sniffed. "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, she looked at me again, and shook her head just slightly. "Okay."

"They deserved what they got. They weren't human to begin with." She said, that was all Michonne would say as she put her tin down and started to get up. I watched her move to grab the blankets and make our pallets for the night. We were getting use to sleeping next to each other, using our body heat to keep warm. The truth was, I was falling for Michonne, she didn't speak much, she didn't say a whole lot, but just like Daryl she spoke more with action then words. She protected us, she used those men to keep us safe, and that spoke volumes.

* * *

><p><strong>Day 24<strong>

_Rick_

I didn't know what month it was, what day, I just knew that it was getting colder and we had finally made it to the storage units, we'd be able to bunker down in these until winter had past, only going out to get supplies when we had to.

Lori and Glenn were both getting bigger, Glenn felt his baby shifting around last night and the smile on his face as him and the girls were talking about it was priceless, it sort of made all this seem worth it. Hershel had used a stethoscope we found last week to listen to the baby's heartbeat. He told Glenn that it was strong and in great rhythm. He checked on Lori as well, she was maybe a few weeks behind Glenn but not by much, which made me hope that maybe it was mine and not Shane's baby.

"Okay, Hershel you stay out here with Lori, Glenn and Beth. T-Dog, Maggie, Carol and I will go in and clear out the storage unit. Once it's clean I'll give you the okay to follow." I instructed, both Carol and Maggie had become excellent at using the knives and other such weapons to take out the walkers. It was days like this, that I really missed Daryl.

I knew he'd be coming, if he survived he'd find us, after all his family was here. I glanced at Glenn at that thought. He was rubbing his tummy where I was sure the baby was moving around. I looked back at the others as they all knew their jobs, and we got into a formation with our backs to each other so we didn't get caught from behind and I opened the storage door, it was a big metal door that swung upwards and made a bit of noise. We could hear shuffling inside, so we knew it was occupied.

"Everyone, stay on your guard." I warned before taking a flashlight that Glenn held out for me and with machete in one hand and flashlight in the other I led my small group into the dark of the first storage unit we'd opened up. There were twelve units in all at this location, so we had plenty to go through and find supplies.

We made our way in, there were a few boxes that I had to go around, I was walking past them when a walker suddenly came at me from the left, Maggie got it in the back of the head just as I turned, it dropped. Carol screamed as one was crawling on the ground from having its legs severally torn up, that's probably how she died. It grabbed Carol's and was just about to take a bite when T-Dog killed it before she'd composed herself enough to do it.

There were three others, but they were quickly taken care of, then we pulled them out off to the side, before well went in, I pulled the door down, then moved deeper into the storage unit. We used our flashlights to see by as we checked some of the boxes, lucky us Hershel found a couple of kerosene lamps, and the kerosene to make them work, soon we had light as we laid out blankets and sat down.

Glenn and Lori were both exhausted so this was a good time for them to get some sleep. The rest joined them, I stayed up a while and just watched, we were safe here, secure. But once again I found myself missing Daryl, he was a great friend, loving boyfriend, a protective hunter, and a loyal brother. He was everything this group was missing, and I knew that Glenn needed him as he continued to get bigger, every flutter the baby made, every new milestone Glenn hit in his pregnancy he wanted Daryl there for. But he wasn't, because I failed him, and there was nothing I could do to undo that. All we could do was wait.

* * *

><p><strong>Day 27<strong>

_Harleen_

It was cold as we stopped for the night, Daryl started a fire and we heated up some possum he'd managed to find. I was shivering under a thin blanket we'd found, Daryl was wearing a red poncho. He walked over and took it off putting it over me before sitting down as our dinner cooked.

"Do you think its thanksgiving yet?" I asked.

Daryl shrugged. "I don't know, I suppose it's possible." We'd spent a while together now, Daryl said we should reach the town that he had last seen his friends in a few days. I wrapped my arms tight around myself trying to fight off the cold. We were in the woods, and the wind was blowing as some snow fell which was making it difficult on Daryl's sensitive hearing.

"Daryl, what was thanksgiving like for you and your family before all this?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Well, before my mother died, we would have a meal, usually went on a turkey hunt with my father and half uncle. After my mother died, dad would go on a bender with some woman, Merle would either be in juvie or the county jail and I'd be trying to pretend that my life was normal and happy." Daryl informed me.

"My family was big, I was an only child but my parents had siblings and they had kids who had siblings. This year I was finally going to sit at the adult table. It was my turn, being sixteen. My parents died giving me a head start, I wouldn't be here if they hadn't saved me." I told him sadly. Daryl put his arm around my shoulders and held me close as he rubbed my arms trying to warm me up.

"Thank you dad." I never meant to say that, but I've been alone for so long and Daryl had done everything to take care of me, I think it was something he also needed to hear for himself.

"Just, close your eyes Harleen. You'll be safe tonight." Daryl promised, I yawned as I closed my eyes and soon was fast asleep. Daryl didn't move the rest of the night and the possum ended up getting burnt, but truth was neither of us cared.

* * *

><p><em>Glenn<em>

Maggie walked over to where I was sitting on a pillow we'd found a few days ago, it helped with my back. Lori was lying down near Rick and Carl, as they ate some canned meat we had managed to find that morning. Carol and T-Dog were sitting against another wall on the left as they too ate and talked. Hershel and Beth were asleep on pallets, Maggie's own pallet which was between them was vacated as she handed me a blanket to warm me up.

Maggie sat down next to me as I wrapped the blanket around myself to stop the shivering, at least inside this lamp lit storage unit the wind couldn't get to us. But it was howling outside, banging against the sides. "Last year for thanksgiving I didn't even come home, I had collage, midterms and friends, a guy I was sleeping with, and I didn't dear tell my parents about him." Maggie said softly as everyone else was starting to fall asleep.

"Last year, I was in Atlanta, separated from my family, and unable to go back to school. I had told my father a few years ago that I liked boys, that I had a boyfriend and he freaked, he beat me up and kicked me out, told me never to come home. My mother and sisters packed up my things and gave me a ride, my mother had known for years that I liked boys and never once told him. But she loved her husband and I wasn't about to ask anything of her, I knew it had been a risk and what would happen but I was in love. Turned out that he loved someone else, so we broke up shortly afterwards and then I went to Atlanta. Stayed there, until a friend got sick in Macon, that's when all this happened."

"So, was your family big on thanksgiving?" Maggie asked.

"Sure, as big as any other family, you know we had turkey and dressing and all that stuff. Got together with what family we had here. Truth was I always felt like the outsider because I wasn't like my parents, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles. I was different, so I got to be different with people like me."

"When you met Daryl, did you know, right away that he was the one?" Maggie was really curious that night.

"No, actually I didn't, we started out just taking the edge off, and finding comfort in each other, I knew that I liked him, and then…loved him, but I didn't know he was the one. Not until a bunch of these guys grabbed me down in Atlanta before we left and ended up on your farm that I knew. I was on this roof, and I looked down and saw fear and anger in Daryl's eyes. They were threating my life, and that both angered and scared him. He was protective of me, and that's when I knew he was the one for me. No other boyfriend had ever cared that much about me, but he did, even before he knew he'd fathered a baby." I informed her with love in my voice, and in my eyes, just thinking about Daryl made me so happy, but sad at the same time, I missed Daryl, so much that it hurt to breathe sometimes.

"I didn't know that. Get some sleep." Maggie stood then and went back to her pallet as I slipped down to lay on my side one hand under my head the other resting on my belly that was defiantly starting to show, I was almost to the point where I wouldn't have a choice but to wear the maternity clothes, as it was I could barely button up my jeans, leaving me in just a pair of sweat pants I found a couple of weeks ago. I closed my eyes and fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

><p><em>Michonne<em>

As night started to come, Andrea and I slowed to a stop, we found an area to hold up for the night, she walked off to get wood for a fire while I tied up my…'walkers'. Thinking of them as anything more was too painful. Memories I didn't want to think about. I started to take my sword off setting it near the tree when I heard Andrea scream.

I pulled it out of its sheath and ran where I could hear her screaming. I came through some trees and saw one walker on the ground her knife embedded in its forehead the other had her from behind and was really close to her left shoulder as she was trying to get away from it.

I grabbed the handle of my katana and thrust the blade through the back of its skull, causing it to fall, Andrea spun around holding a hand to her left shoulder where the walker had been trying to bite her, there was blood seeping between her fingers.

I liked Andrea, I had been growing close to Andrea and now there was a chance I'd have to watch her die. She was my friend, my only friend and in the last several weeks I had found I wasn't as lonely as I use to be. I couldn't find it in myself to kill her that night, and I've never been so glad I hadn't, as I lowered my katana while she stared shocked and terrified, but I wouldn't kill her, not until I had to.

* * *

><p><em>Everyone<em>

"Happy Thanksgiving everybody."


End file.
